Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) refers to a rapidly declining skills set among the next generation of American students and future leaders, prompting education policy and curriculum choices in schools encouraging them to pursue degrees and future employment in technology fields. The STEM program embraced by government, education and industry seeks solutions to address shortages in candidates for high-tech jobs by fostering interests in STEM areas as early as elementary school, and continuing into college.

In 2006 the United States National Academies expressed their concern about the declining state of STEM education in the United States. Its Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy developed a list of ten actions federal policymakers could take to advance STEM education in the United States. Their top three recommendations were: (1) to increase America's talent pool by improving K-12 science and mathematics education, (2) to strengthen the skills of teachers through additional training in science, mathematics and technology, and (3) to enlarge the pipeline of students prepared to enter college and graduate with STEM degrees.

The AFCEA Belvoir STEM Symposium Nov. 13 featured a technology briefing from Mr. Wiltsie during the chapter’s monthly luncheon, and included a robotic demonstration by Fort Belvoir Elementary School students and an afternoon panel moderated by COL Robert McVay, PEO EIS Director of Cyber. The STEM panel, which was comprised of local elementary school, industry and academic leaders, discussed ideas for fostering STEM interest in K-12 and beyond.

“STEM is a vital program that reaches down to students at an early age and fosters an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics so that they choose related career fields as adults,” said Mr. Wiltsie of the importance of STEM. “Ms. [Heidi] Shyu and other Army and Department of Defense leaders have talked about the importance of building future leaders in technology and industry in order for the U.S. to continue to lead the pack in the fields of research and development, and in building and deploying these technologies. So the work that this chapter – and that all of you in industry – are doing to support this is important.”

Mr. Wiltsie’s command briefing at the luncheon portion of the program provided updates in the business process areas of enterprise resource planning (ERPs), network modernization, biometrics, medical, and general technology updates, as well as upcoming procurement opportunities, and included the premier of the new command video, which can be viewed on the PEO EIS website.

The AFCEA Belvoir Chapter has a history of robust STEM support, sponsoring scholarship programs at local schools and hosting regular demonstrations and STEM Days to promote industry and community awareness. PEO EIS has been actively engaged in AFCEA Belvoir STEM events in recent years, sending representatives from Product Director Defense-Wide Transmission Systems (PD DWTS), Project Manager DOD Biometrics, and the Product Director Automated Movement and Identification Solutions (PD AMIS) to demonstrate their programs’ technologies at STEM Days at local K-12 schools.

More information about AFCEA Belvoir’s STEM program and photos from the event can be found on the PEO EIS website, and at www.afceabelvoir.org.